Easy Side Salad for BBQ

Shrimp is one of the fastest, easiest dinners I know, especially since frozen shrimp can just hang out in the freezer until you're ready for them — no premeditated shopping required. Make extra, too, and you have a tasty topping for lunch salads.

Sure, shrimp is a little more expensive than ground beef or chicken thighs, and you need to be mindful of sourcing (see Seafood Watch's shrimp fact sheet here), but I like to keep a bag in the freezer for busy nights, or to combat the lure of eating out on the weekends. Frozen shrimp, after all, is still a lot cheaper than a meal in a nice restaurant.

My meal the other night reminded me of how shrimp also doesn't need to be paired with heavy restaurant-style starches like risotto or pasta — as delicious as those are. Make your meal a little more summer-friendly with one of these slaws or grain salads, topped with a few pink guys.

1. - So colorful! If making this I would toss the shrimp with a little bit of cumin and pepper before roasting.
2. - Roast the shrimp with some mashed garlic and olive oil, and finish with a squeeze of lemon or sprinkle of paprika.
3. Arugula & Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette - An extremely easy and refreshing salad for a light dinner.
4. Herbed Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad - This salad is pretty glorious all on its own with a satisfying mix of tomato, corn, herbs, and goat cheese. Shrimp would turn it into a meal.
5. - Cauliflower "couscous" is all the rage for its lightness and the Mediterranean flavors here would make a great base for shrimp.
6. Cheesy Tex-Mex Rice - This recipe may push the "quick" designation a bit, but just think — how good would this be topped with shrimp that have been roasted with a bit of taco seasoning? Yum yum.
7. - Want to grill? Top a packet of delicious potatoes with freshly chopped chives and a spoonful of shrimp.
8. - An ultra simple couscous salad that could also be made ahead of time for a true 10-minute weeknight supper.
9. - I love this lentil salad from Sarah. Great flavors and good for making ahead.
10. - Want to play around with Middle Eastern or Turkish flavors? Toss the shrimp with urfa pepper or za'atar (after roasting so as not to scorch the herbs) and serve with this simple but intensely flavorful salad.